Brendan Doherty

A new commercial by Congressman David Cicilline’s campaign continues the Democrat’s theme of linking his Republican opponent, in his own words, with other members of the GOP (Mitt Romney in this case).

As part of his effort to separate himself from congressional Republicans, Brendan Doherty held a news conference outside Memorial Hospital in Pawtucket this morning. He offered what his campaign calls, via news release, an “ironclad pledge”:

Brendan Doherty this morning used a lookout on the East Bay Bike Path in Riverside — with a nice view of downtown Providence — to argue that Congressman David Cicilline doesn’t deserve the trust of voters.

David Cicilline is 10 years older and carries the wear-and-tear of much more political mileage than when he emerged in a four-way 2002 Democratic primary as the new sensation of Providence politics. Yet Cicilline – battered by harsh headlines since not long after taking his congressional seat in January 2011 — seemed just as affirmed by his decisive victory tonight over businessman Anthony Gemma (62 to 31 percent, in unofficial results).

In a resounding show of support from 1st District Democratic primary voters, Congressman David Cicilline swamped businessman Anthony Gemma to win renomination, establishing a strong foundation for a general election showdown against Republican Brendan Doherty, of Cumberland, the former state police superintendent.

As he tries to land a seat in Congress, Brendan Doherty needs to convince voters he’s a Republican in the moderate mold of John Chafee, Ron Machtley, and Claudine Schneider – not such conservatives as John Boehner, Paul Ryan, and Eric Cantor.

There is only one Rhode Island primary election tomorrow (Tuesday Sept. 11) that is being watched from Woonsocket to Washington, D.C. RIPR political analyst Scott MacKay brings you the first district Democratic donnybrook.

The 1st District U.S. House primary joust between Democratic David Cicilline and Anthony Gemma has been in-your-face nasty, as rough as it gets in a little state known for big political fights.